Learn more with this project!
Travel Kit: Tempera paint, sponge, pencil, paper and scissors
Your Destination: Philadelphia has a long and vibrant tradition of printmaking, with studios that bring together artists, communities, and powerful ideas through ink, paper, and design.
On the Path: Visiting local print studios—like Second State Press, The Fabric Workshop and Museum, or Fleisher Art Memorial—offers a chance to see how prints are made and how art can share stories and spark change. Experience the creative process and use it to make something meaningful of your own.
Step 1: Visit a printmaking studio or exhibition in Philadelphia and observe the tools, techniques, and prints on display.
Step 2: Pay attention to how artists use patterns, symbols, and words to communicate ideas.
Step 3: After your visit, choose one print or process that inspires you and create a print-style artwork of your own. Try making a simple stamp or stencil print.
Group Tour: Share your creation and explain how printmaking helped you express your voice and connect with the community at #ArtSphereInc!
Extend the Journey: Interview a local printmaker or studio guide. Explore how printmaking has been used in protest, fashion, and storytelling.
Vocabulary: Stencil, stamp, brayer
Resources and Visual Aids: Locations to check out:
- Brandywine Workshop and Archives: (730 South Broad Street) This nonprofit organization specializes in producing limited-edition screen-printed fine art. They offer exhibitions and maintain an archive of prints.
- BYO Print: (12 N 3rd Street, #5) A shared printmaking studio equipped for screen printing, intaglio, relief, book arts, exhibition preparation, and experimental projects.
- Drexel University Printmaking Studio: (Academic Building at 101 North 33rd Street, Rooms 507 & 508) Drexel’s studio supports academic courses and offers facilities for various printmaking techniques.
- The Fabric Workshop and Museum: (1214 Arch Street) An institution that collaborates with artists to create innovative works in fabric, showcasing contemporary art and design through exhibitions and collections.
- The Philadelphia Sketch Club: (235 South Camac Street) This historic art club offers printmaking workshops on Wednesdays, providing facilities for various printmaking processes.
- Philadelphia Print Consortium: An organization dedicated to raising awareness of Philadelphia’s rich print community, they host events at the Parkway Central Library (1901 Vine Street)
- The Print Center: (1614 Latimer Street in Rittenhouse Square) This nonprofit gallery is dedicated to promoting photography and printmaking through exhibitions, publications, and educational programs.
- The Soapbox: Community Print Shop & Zine Library: (4700 Kingsessing Avenue) The studio space offers public open hours on Wednesdays and Sundays.
- Second State Press: (1400 N American Street, b103) A nonprofit community printmaking studio that offers classes and studio memberships in a supportive environment, with facilities for various printmaking techniques.
- Ulises: (1525 N American Street, Studio 104) A bookshop and curatorial platform dedicated to artists’ books and independent art publications.